[Vismaya Dowry Death] Husband Kiran Kumar denied bail by Kerala court

Kiran Kumar, the prime accused in the Vismaya dowry death case, was on Tuesday, denied bail by the Sasthamcotta Judicial First Class Magistrate in Kollam, Kerala..Kiran Kumar, the husband of Vismaya V Nair, is facing charges under Sections 498A (subjecting a woman to cruelty for dowry) and 304B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code after Vismaya was found dead, hanging from the window of a bathroom in Kumar's house on June 21, 2021. Only a few days prior to her death, Vismaya had sent pictures of bruises and wounds on her body to her relatives through WhatsApp claiming that she was being harassed by her husband for dowry. Screenshots of the WhatsApp chat and voice notes sent by her were shared by her family after she was found dead. She had allegedly suffered the injuries due to the physical abuse meted out to her by Kumar and his family due to dissatisfaction over the "gifts" given to them for their wedding..While the early reports alleged suicide, it is now being investigated as a potential homicide. .Advocate BA Aloor, appearing for Jumar, argued that Kumar's admission during interrogation about physical violence towards his wife, would make him liable only for offence under Section 498A of IPC..However, the prosecution pressed for dismissal of the bail plea as investigation is still ongoing and Kumar, who recently tested COVID positive, can only be taken in for more evidence after he recovers..The death of the 24-year-old Ayurveda Medical student had sparked outrage across Kerala and renewed the discussion on prevalence of dowry related harassment, abuse and death in the State. Leaders of all parties, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had strongly condemned the incident with Vijayan releasing a statement that called for reforms to rid society of dowry system. The Kerala Women’s Commission had also taken a suo motu case in the incident and sought a report from the police.